Self-cleaning under basket lint filter for automatic washers

Abstract

A filter attached for rotation with a washing machine basket includes a filtering surface which is in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the basket for filtering laundry liquid during a washing operation and for reverse flushing of the filtering surface during a liquid extraction operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A washing machine of the vertical axis type including an outer imperforate tub having a side wall and a bottom wall for containing a liquid; a basket mounted in the tub on said vertical axis for containing articles to be washed and having a perforated side wall and lower wall sloping upwardly from a lower portion at the outer circumference of said side wall toward said central axis, said basket lower wall adjacent said bottom wall of the tub including circumferentially spaced openings being spaced from said vertical axis;   agitating means mounted in said basket on said vertical axis for rotation relative to said basket;   drive means connected to said basket for spinning said basket during a liquid extraction operation and for oscillating said agitating means during a washing operation;   a disc shaped filter means mounted for rotation with said basket including an imperforate portion extending from a central portion adjacent said vertical axis in contact with the lower wall of said basket to a body portion arranged in spaced parallel relationship with the lower wall of said basket and a circumferentially disposed wall portion extending upwardly to engage the lower wall of said basket, a relatively flat filtering surface disposed circumferentially on the peripheral end of said body portion being in a plane substantially perpendicular to said vertical axis and positioned between the outer lower portion of said lower wall and the bottom wall of the tub, said filtering surface including a plurality of openings being dimensioned for removing lint from liquid circulating therethrough during said washing operation and for causing lint to be removed from said relatively flat filtering surface by the shearing force between the spinning basket and the liquid in said tub during the initial portion of said extraction operation;   agitator driven pump means defined between said agitator and said lower wall of said basket, impelling vanes on said agitator located radially outwardly from said circumferentially spaced openings in said basket for causing liquid circulating during said washing operation to flow upwardly from said tub through said filtering surface and into said basket and outwardly through said circumferentially spaced openings to be returned to said tub, thereby preventing lint from returning to said basket during said washing operation; and   basket driven pump means including liquid impelling vanes on said filter means disposed between said filter and said lower wall of said basket located radially outwardly from said circumferentially spaced openings defining a pump means for causing liquid to flow downwardly from said basket through said circumferentially spaced openings and said filtering means for backflushing and removing lint from said filtering surface during said extraction operation.